Related papers: VLTI/PIONIER images the Achernar disk swell
Context: The geometry of the circumstellar envelopes (CSE) surrounding Be stars is still uncertain, although it is often assumed that they are formed by a disk around the stellar equator and a hot polar wind. Achernar (Alpha Eri) is the…
The main theoretical problem for the formation of a Keplerian disk around Be stars is how to supply angular momentum from the star to the disk, even more so since Be stars probably rotate somewhat sub-critically. For instance, nonradial…
We present the results of a high accuracy ($\sigma \approx 0.005%$) polarization monitoring of the Be Star Achernar that was carried out between July 7th and November 5th, 2006. Our results indicate that, after a near quiescent phase from…
Context: As is the case of several other Be stars, Achernar is surrounded by an envelope, recently detected by near-IR interferometry. Aims: We search for the signature of circumstellar emission at distances of a few stellar radii from…
Context: Be stars are massive dwarf or subgiant stars that present temporary emission lines in their spectrum, and particularly in the Halpha line. The mechanism triggering these Be episodes is currently unknown, but binarity could play an…
Be stars are rapid rotators surrounded by a gaseous disk envelope whose origin is still under debate. This envelope is responsible for observed emission lines and large infrared excess. To progress in the understanding of the physical…
The recent interferometric study of Achernar, leading to the conclusion that its geometrical oblateness cannot be explained in the Roche approximation, has stirred substantial interest in the community, in view of its potential impact in…
Achernar, the closest and brightest classical Be star, presents rotational flattening, gravity darkening, occasional emission lines due to a gaseous disk, and an extended polar wind. It is also a member of a close binary system with an…
Context. Classical Be stars are hot non-supergiant stars surrounded by a gaseous circumstellar disk that is responsible for the observed infrared-excess and emission lines. The phenomena involved in the disk formation still remain highly…
The innermost astronomical unit in protoplanetary disks is a key region for stellar and planet formation, as exoplanet searches have shown a large occurrence of close-in planets that are located within the first au around their host star.…
Optical long baseline interferometry was recently established as a technique capable of resolving stars and their circumstellar environments at the milliarcsecond (mas) resolution level. This high-resolution opens an entire new window to…
Context: Extended circumstellar emission has been detected within a few 100 milli-arcsec around > 10% of nearby main sequence stars using near-infrared interferometry. Follow-up observations using other techniques, should they yield similar…
We aim at resolving the circumstellar environment around beta Pic in the near-infrared in order to study the inner planetary system (< 200 mas, i.e., ~4 AU). Precise interferometric fringe visibility measurements were obtained over seven…
Scattered light imaging has revealed nearly a dozen circumstellar disks around young Herbig Ae/Be stars$-$enabling studies of structures in the upper disk layers as potential signs of on-going planet formation. We present the first images…
Binary formation is an important aspect of star formation. One possible route for close-in binary formation is disk fragmentation$^{[1,2,3]}$. Recent observations show small scale asymmetries (<300 au) around young protostars$^{[2,4]}$,…
The Be star $\pi$ Aquarii shows peculiar $\gamma$ Cas-type X-ray emission, likely caused by its outer disk interacting with a low-mass companion, probably a white dwarf. We study the long-term variability of its optical spectra to derive…
Due to the recent dramatic technological advances, infrared interferometry can now be applied to new classes of objects, resulting in exciting new science prospects, for instance, in the area of high-mass star formation. Although…
With the construction of the VLTI (Very Large Telescope Interferometer of the European Observatory ESO for the southern hemisphere) it is now possible to make observations with resolutions of the order of milli-arc-seconds, especially in IR…
The atmospheres and accretion disks of planetary-mass and substellar companions provide an unprecedented look into planet and moon formation processes, most notably the frequency and lifetime of circumplanetary disks. In our ongoing effort…
Context. A characteristic feature of young stellar objects is their variability, which is caused by a variety of different physical processes. High-resolution interferometric observations in the near- and mid-infrared wavelength ranges…